Read Online Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) by Thomas Rath - Free Book Online Page A

breakfast that morning. Low garbles churned in her chest and then rumbled up to her throat. He could tell she was not pleased with him. He was beginning to feel like he was being lectured just like his mother did when he got hurt after doing something she had warned him not to do.
    “I’m sorry, Tchee. Really. Who would have thought I would be mistaken for someone who would steal weapons from royalty? Really, my head is better now and they even gave me the dagger back. It’s not a big thing, honest.”
    Tchee eyed him closely for a moment longer and then raised her head and stepped back giving him enough room to stand. He rubbed his chest where she had hit him and felt the tenderness from the quick forming bruise.
    “I won’t be upsetting you again. You hit harder than the dwarfs.”
    Tchee just stared at him and then suddenly started bouncing around bobbing back and forth while warbling a cheerful melody.
    He smiled, happy to have his friend back and even happier that she hadn’t taken his head off. “What have you been doing this whole time that I was locked away inside the mountain? I have to say that you weren’t much help at the river when they gave me a big knot on my head.”
    Tchee screamed out in protest raising her head high into the air and then bouncing it up and down in short, quick gyrations. The low growl returned to her throat causing him to raise his hands in submission.
    “I know, I know. It was my fault. I was only kidding. It wasn’t all bad though.” His voice suddenly filled with excitement. “You wouldn’t believe what I saw and did. Of course, the first part wasn’t that great, and I was afraid they were going to kill me more than once, but I did get to meet a real king and stay in a real palace. Then they fed me all of this weird food. Well, not at first. First they just gave me a little bit of mush that didn’t taste like anything, but later I got bacon and cheese and vegetables and eggs and other strange things that were all really good. But what was the best of all was that I got to meet the prince my mother met when she was on her appeasing journey!”
    He threw his hands in the air and then plopped them back onto the top of his head. “My mother! I need to get back home. Who knows how long I’ve been gone and now that I have a gift for Twee I can go home! I can’t wait to get there. Boy was Twee right about home being the greatest adventure. I don’t think I ever want to leave the swamps again, although it was kind of exciting and I did meet some nice people, well not at first but they were later on.”
    Tchee just stared at the Waseeni boy as he babbled on and on about his little adventures dancing about and waving his hands acting out certain parts that excited him most and then parading around about one thing or another. She didn’t interrupt, but had Teek been paying attention he may have caught the slight glint in her eye like a mother patiently watching her child amused by his self discoveries.
    Finally he stopped. “I want to get home soon. Can you take me? I know it’s a lot to ask,” he paused putting a hand on his stomach, “and I did just eat but it will take me days and days to get there by walking and canoeing.”
    Tchee squawked amicably and bobbed her head back and forth before dropping a wing for him to climb up. He smiled and then turned and got his pack. He was still amazed at how Tchee seemed to understand everything he said to her and how easily she was able to get her point across to him. Hoisting the heavy pack back onto his shoulders he grabbed the front of the outstretched wing as best he could and then scurried up and onto her back. “You should see the great axe that Bardolf gave me. Mother will be so surprised when I tell her I met them!”
    Ignoring his chatter, Tchee moved slightly to the left to clear herself of the aspen branches and then leaped suddenly into the air. Teek’s stomach dropped and he quickly clasped her about the neck trying